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Middle East and Central Asia > Saudi Arabia

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 86 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • National Government Expenditures and Related Policies: General x
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Cover Policy Papers
FY2025–FY2027 Medium-Term Budget
International Monetary Fund. Office of Budget and Planning
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund approved the 2025-27 financial years (FY25-27) medium-term budget. While the global economy has shown resilience to successive adverse shocks, the overall global economic context remains complex with slow and uneven growth, increased fragmentation, deepening divergence, and still high interest rates despite easing inflationary pressures. Against this backdrop, the FY25-27 budget continues to be guided by principles of agility and budget discipline, reinforced by ongoing reprioritization and savings capture. It also builds on strong cooperation with other institutions, ensuring the Fund continues to focus on areas within its mandate, even as it addresses new demands. Work to strengthen internal operations also continue, focusing on both efficiency and effectiveness in meeting changing needs in the post-pandemic workplace, where rapid technological changes are underway. With significant demands within a constrained budget environment, the budget reflects difficult tradeoffs.
Keywords:
medium-term budget; OBP; budget framework; financial support; A. budget overview; budget agility; I. budget process overview; budget envelope; budget remain; budget resource; Budget planning and preparation; Capital budget; Global; Sub-Saharan Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Saudi Arabia: 2023 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Informational Annex
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
The 2023 Article IV Consultation discusses that Saudi Arabia was the fastest growing G20 economy in 2022. The Saudi unemployment rate is at a historical low. Amid an increase in labor force participation, total unemployment dropped to 4.8 percent by end-2022—from 9 percent during Covid—reflecting both an increase in Saudi workers in the private sector and expatriate workers (mostly in the construction and agricultural sectors) rising back above pre-Covid levels. Non-oil gross domestic product growth momentum is expected to remain strong, as strong consumption spending and accelerated project implementation boost demand. Careful calibration of investment programs is needed to ensure catalytic effects and avoid crowding out the private sector. The industrial policy agenda should be supporting structural reform efforts, with guardrails put in place to minimize inefficiencies. Fully implementing the Green Initiative is necessary to help Saudi Arabia meet its net zero emissions target.
Keywords:
totaling SDR; headline inflation; quarterly balance of payments; growth momentum; financial asset; Oil prices; External sector statistics; Global
Cover The IMF and Capacity Development: Evaluation Report 2022
The IMF and Capacity Development: Evaluation Report 2022
International Monetary Fund. Independent Evaluation Office

Abstract

Capacity development (CD) is a key function of the IMF, aiming to assist its member countries develop their institutional and human capacity to design and implement sound macroeconomic and financial policies. CD has been provided to all IMF member countries at some point, although it is directed mainly toward low- and middle-income countries. CD represents about one-third of the IMF’s administrative budget, having expanded substantially in the past decade. This evaluation assesses how effective the IMF has been in meeting the CD needs and expectations of recipient countries, and the Fund’s institutional objectives for CD, during 2012-20. It also provides an initial review of how IMF CD adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluation finds that IMF CD was relevant, valued, and broadly effective. Recipients, donors, and the wider membership saw IMF CD as being of the highest technical quality in the Fund’s core areas of expertise and generally perceived that it had become better tailored to recipient needs and circumstances. Overall, Fund CD has supported member countries in building the institutional capacity, in a very wide range of country circumstances. The IMF has also put substantial effort into integrating CD with surveillance and programs, which has in general enhanced its overall engagement with member countries. While recognizing these achievements, the evaluation also identifies a number of important shortcomings and challenges. The evaluation includes recommendations to enhance the strategic framework for, and prioritization of, CD; information available to Executive Directors and opportunities to exercise their oversight role; the integration of CD with surveillance and programs, particularly in the context of programs; CD ownership and delivery; the monitoring and evaluation framework; the sustainability of the CD funding model; and HR policies and incentives to maintain and develop the expertise in the Fund’s core and newly emerging CD topics.

Keywords:
Capacity Development; Technical Assistance; Training; Donors; Capacity Building; Institutional Capacity; IMF CD; CD strategy review; CD resource; CD ownership; CD work; COVID-19; Absorptive capacity; Climate change; Information and data management; Global; Middle East and Central Asia; Middle East; Central America; Southeast Asia; North Africa; Africa; Western Hemisphere; Europe; Asia and Pacific
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Saudi Arabia: 2022 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Saudi Arabia is recovering strongly from the pandemic-induced recession. Higher oil prices provide an opportunity for accelerating further the strong reform drive brought about under Vision 2030.
Keywords:
totaling SDR; energy price reform; transparency policy; financial asset; inflation development; price inflation; Oil prices; Inflation; External sector statistics; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Saudi Arabia: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Selected Issues
Keywords:
expenditure rule; resource revenue projection; NIS investment target; oil GDP; Saudi economy; Oil prices; Fiscal rules; Central bank policy rate; Fiscal stance; Global; East Asia
Cover IMF Working Papers
Gender Budgeting in G20 Countries
Virginia Alonso-Albarran
,
Ms. Teresa R Curristine
,
Gemma Preston
,
Alberto Soler
,
Nino Tchelishvili
, and
Sureni Weerathunga
Achieving gender equality remains a significant challenge, that has only deepened with the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gender budgeting (GB) can help promote gender equality by applying a gender perspective to fiscal policies and the budget process. This paper takes stock of GB practices in G20 countries and benchmarks country performance using a GB index and data gathered from an IMF survey. All G20 countries have enacted gender focused fiscal policies but the public financial management (PFM) tools to operationalize these policies are far less established. We find that notwithstanding heterogeneity across countries, the average G20 level of GB practice is relatively low. More progress has been made establishing GB frameworks and budget preparation tools than with budget execution, monitoring and auditing. Too few countries assess the upfront impact of policies on gender and/or evaluate ex-post the effectiveness of policies and programs. Where GB features are in place, they tend to operate as an ‘add-on’, rather than a strategic and integral part of resource allocation decisions. Progress with GB does not appear to be dependent on the level of country development. Key to future efforts will be harnessing opportunities for integrating GB tools into existing PFM systems and more closely linking GB initiatives with PFM reforms.
Keywords:
G20; Gender Equality; Gender Budgeting; Public Financial Management; GB practice; GB tool; Gender budgeting (Gb; GB index; IMF Gender Budgeting approach; Gender inequality; Gender budgeting; Budget planning and preparation; Women; Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Central African Republic: First and Second Reviews Under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement and Request for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria-Press Release; Staff Report; Staff Statement; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Central African Republic
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
The Covid-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on C.A.R.’s economy but appears now somewhat contained. The number of positive cases and related deaths has been very limited over the last few months, even though most containment measures have been progressively loosened. Despite some progress since the February 2019 peace agreement, the security situation remains precarious. Despite some delays in voter registration, the first round of the presidential and general elections is still scheduled on December 27.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; asset declaration law; staff appraisal; staff statement; assessment of policy issue; CAR authorities; assessment of the ability; COVID-19; Arrears; Global
Cover Departmental Papers
Social Spending for Inclusive Growth in the Middle East and Central Asia
Mr. Koshy Mathai
,
Mr. Christoph Duenwald
,
Ms. Anastasia Guscina
,
Rayah Al-Farah
,
Mr. Hatim Bukhari
,
Mr. Atif Chaudry
,
Moataz El-Said
,
Fozan Fareed
,
Mrs. Kerstin Gerling
,
Nghia-Piotr Le
,
Mr. Franto Ricka
,
Mr. Cesar Serra
,
Tetyana Sydorenko
,
Mr. Sébastien Walker
, and
Mr. Mohammed Zaher
This paper examines the role of social spending in improving socioeconomic outcomes in the Middle East and Central Asia. In particular, it addresses the following questions: (1) how large is social spending across the region? (2) how do countries in the region fare on socioeconomic outcomes? (3) how important is social spending as a determinant of these outcomes? and (4) how efficient is social spending in the region?
Keywords:
Social spending; Social protection; Inclusive growth; DPPP; DP; IMF staff calculation; spend; purchasing power parity; spending efficiency
Cover Departmental Papers
Social Spending for Inclusive Growth in the Middle East and Central Asia
Mr. Koshy Mathai
,
Mr. Christoph Duenwald
,
Ms. Anastasia Guscina
,
Rayah Al-Farah
,
Mr. Hatim Bukhari
,
Mr. Atif Chaudry
,
Moataz El-Said
,
Fozan Fareed
,
Mrs. Kerstin Gerling
,
Nghia-Piotr Le
,
Mr. Franto Ricka
,
Mr. Cesar Serra
,
Tetyana Sydorenko
,
Mr. Sébastien Walker
, and
Mr. Mohammed Zaher
This paper examines the role of social spending in improving socioeconomic outcomes in the Middle East and Central Asia. In particular, it addresses the following questions: (1) how large is social spending across the region? (2) how do countries in the region fare on socioeconomic outcomes? (3) how important is social spending as a determinant of these outcomes? and (4) how efficient is social spending in the region?
Keywords:
Social spending; Social protection; Inclusive growth; DPPP; DP; IMF staff calculation; spend; purchasing power parity; spending efficiency; IMF emergency financing operation; health care spending adequacy; care spending; public health care spending; wasteful spending; consumption expenditure; foreign-aid-funded spending; infant mortality; Health care spending; Education spending; Middle East and Central Asia; Global
Cover Departmental Papers
Social Spending for Inclusive Growth in the Middle East and Central Asia
Mr. Koshy Mathai
,
Mr. Christoph Duenwald
,
Ms. Anastasia Guscina
,
Rayah Al-Farah
,
Mr. Hatim Bukhari
,
Mr. Atif Chaudry
,
Moataz El-Said
,
Fozan Fareed
,
Mrs. Kerstin Gerling
,
Nghia-Piotr Le
,
Mr. Franto Ricka
,
Mr. Cesar Serra
,
Tetyana Sydorenko
,
Mr. Sébastien Walker
, and
Mr. Mohammed Zaher
This paper examines the role of social spending in improving socioeconomic outcomes in the Middle East and Central Asia. In particular, it addresses the following questions: (1) how large is social spending across the region? (2) how do countries in the region fare on socioeconomic outcomes? (3) how important is social spending as a determinant of these outcomes? and (4) how efficient is social spending in the region?
Keywords:
Social spending; Social protection; Inclusive growth; DPPP; DP; IMF staff calculation; spend; purchasing power parity; spending efficiency